It's a hat trick for Alexander Valley Vineyard's flagship wine Cyrus, which has won the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo wine competition Grand Champion honors for the second time in three years and the third time overall.

The 2008 Cyrus, a Bordeaux-style blend that's a little over half cabernet sauvignon, won out in a field of nearly 2,900 wines, earning yet another saddle for the winery's owner, Hank Wetzel. The 2006 Cyrus wowed the judges in 2010, after the 1999 had prevailed in the rodeo's first competition in 2003.

The 2010 Williams Selyem Westside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley was named the Reserve Grand Champion. There were 100 judges, a mix of local, national and international wine professionals and aficionados, involved in the tasting over the weekend at Reliant Center.

Unfortunately, neither of the top two wines, both from Sonoma County, are yet available in Houston. The '08 Cyrus, some of which may arrive before Christmas, figures to sell for just under $50, while the Williams Selyem starts at about $100 online.

The 2005, 2006 and 2007 Cyrus vintages are still on the shelf at Spec's, while the small-production Westside Road Neighbors tends to be difficult to come by.

California wines have prevailed in all but one of the 10 Houston competitions. The lone exception was Antinori's Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore 2007 from Italy's Tuscany region, the 2012 Grand Champion. Italy will be the featured country for 2013 and Bolla's 2007 Amarone was chosen as the best Italian entry.

Most of the decorated wines will be featured at the Rodeo Uncorked! Best Bites event at Reliant Center Feb. 17, 2013, and large-format bottles will be auctioned to raise scholarship money at the Champion Wine Auction and Diner March 2. Some also will be served at the Wine Garden during the rodeo Feb. 25-March 17.